The present invention relates to a new and improved method and apparatus for use in a vending machine which dispenses products to customers.
Vending machines have been utilized to provide various snacks, beverages and other products to customers. The vending machines dispense selected products to customers in response to insertion of money, which may be paper and/or coins, into the machines. Known vending machines may be similar to vending machines disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,303,844 and 6,732,014.
These known vending machines are periodically stocked with products which are to be dispensed to customers. During stocking, the products are positioned in dispensing devices. Each of the dispensing devices holds a plurality of products which are sequentially moved from storage locations to a dispensing location. Customer readable indicia indicates the location of the product associated with each of the dispensing devices.
When a customer has selected a product, the customer inserts money or a credit card into the known machine. In addition, the customer actuates a selection switch panel to indicate the location of the product which has been selected. When this has occurred, a dispensing device for the selected product is operated and the selected product moves from a dispensing location to a product retrieval location. The customer manually retrieves the product at the product retrieval location.
Known dispensing devices have included one or more helical conveyors. These conveyors have sequentially moved products from storage locations to dispensing locations. Other dispensing devices have utilized other types of conveyors, for example, dividers or pusher members may be connected with a conveyor belt or chain and moved with the belt or chain to sequentially move products from storage locations to a dispensing location. Other known dispensing devices use gravity feed of products.
After a vending machine has been in operation for a period of time, it is necessary to restock the vending machine with products to be sold. When this is to be done, a supply of each of the products for a vending machine is transported to the vending machine. The dispensing devices are then stocked with new products or with products which correspond to products which were previously sold. In restocking the vending machine, products which sell for the same price and which are identical to other products in a dispensing device are positioned in the dispensing device.